Heater



23, 1944. c. BARR ET AL HEATER Filed Oct. 6 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1. M

S 5 N K V 2 m m m fir.

A/ MY 7 1B [E M 4 MM CJ Patented May 23, 1944 HEATER Charles Barr, Buffalo, and John F. Strickler, Jr.,

Kenmore, N. Y., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Stewart-Warner Corporation, Chicago, Ill.

Application October 6, 1941, Serial No. 413,800

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to heaters and particularly to heaters associated with vehicles having internal combustion engines, such as tanks, airplanes, boats, automobiles, and the' like.

For heating the operator or passenger compartments of such vehicles, heaters have heretofore been provided which are associated with and depend for their operation upon the internal combustion engine of the vehicle. For example, a heater may be associated with an engine vhaving a supercharger between its carburetor and intake manifold, the heater comprising a combustion chamber in a closed conduit extending between the intake manifold and a connection of the carburetor to the supercharger. By this arrangement a combustible mixture of air and fuel is taken from the engine intake manifold, is

in motion and while adjustments are being made or other work is being done upon the engine.

The present invention provides means whereby the heater, although normally dependent upon the engine, may be operated at times when the engine is at a standstill. The invention contemplates auxiliary means capable of supplying a combustible mixture to the heater combustion chamber, and for discharging the gases of combustion from such chamber. I

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description of the typical embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus applied to a vehicle engine;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the auxiliary unit;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and,

Fig. 4 is a section taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

As shown in Fig. 1 a vehicle ll may be provided with an internal combustion engine l2 having an intake manifold l3 through which an air-fuel mixture from carburetor l4 may enter the engine combustion chambers. A supercharger l5 may be disposed between the manifold and carburetor to force the mixture into the engine under great-v er than normal pressure. Disposed adjacent seat I6 in the operator's compartment ll of the vehicle is a heater 13 having an intake pipe IQ for receiving cold air from the compartment and an outlet pipe 2! for discharging heated air back into the compartment. The heater may have a fan or blower 26 for circulating such air around the combustion chamber 22 thereof.

The heater combustion chamber 22 may comprise a closed conduit having its ends connected to an inlet pipe 23 and an outlet pipe 24, and provided with a suitable igniter 25. Inlet pipe 23 may be connected to the intake manifold l3 through fitting 21 and may have a suitable control valve 28. Outlet pipe 24 may be joined to the engine intake at a connection 29 between the carburetor and supercharger. In normal operation of the engine and heater, with valve 28 open, the high pressure of fluid prevailing in the manifold l3 relative to pressure at connection 29 will compel a flow of fluid from manifold I3, through pipe 23, heater combustion chamber 22, and pipe 24 to the engine intake system. The igniter 25 will serve to ignite such fluid, causing it to burn in the heater combustion chamber, so that the discharge through pipe 24 will comprise burned gases of combustion.

A valve 64 provided in pipe 24 may be adjusted to open communication between the heater and connection 29, or to vent the pipe directly to the atmosphere, which may be desirable at times when the pressure of fluid-entering the heater is greater than atmospheric.

A tank 3i, preferably provided with a'removable closure 32 sealed by a gasket 33, has outlet from its upper portion into the pipe 23 between the valve 28 and manifold I3.v The connection means may comprise an exhaust tube 34 within the tank, a manually operated valve 35 exterior of tank and connected to tube 34 by nipple 36, and a nipple 31 detachably connecting the valve 35 to a three-way valve 38 interposed in pipe 23.

The valve 38 may be adjusted to open communication between the tank and the heater and close the heater from the manifold at fitting 21, or to .open communication between the heater and the manifold while blocking oif the tank from pipe 23. The closure 32 may be provided with a gauge 39 for indicating the pressure within the tank, a safety valve 4| and a fitting 42 provided with hand operated valve 43 adapted for connection to a hose 44 or other line leading to a supply of compressed air.

The bore 45 of tube 34 communicates with the upper portion of the tank chamber through a passage 46, and also communicating with the bore is a mixing valve of any suitable form to feed an air-fuel mixture thereinto. In the illustrated form, the mixing valve consists of a body 41 having air inlet ports 48 opening through throat 49 into bore 45. Opening into the throat is a nozzle aligned with a tube 52 which extends into a well 53 that is disposed below the fuel level 54 in the tank. Fuel may enter into the bottom of the well through a coiled vaporizer tube 55 having in its end a small bleed opening 56. Surrounding tube 52 and depending into well 53 from above fuel level 54 is a tube 51. The bottoms of tubes 52 and 51 are closed except for a small bleed opening 58 from the well into tube 52 and a small opening 59 from the interior of tube 51 into tube 52. Air passages 6| leading into the upper end of tube 51 are protected from splashes of fuel by shield 62, and similar shield 63 protects air passages 48.

With the apparatus shown, when it is desired to operate the heater when the engine i2 is not operating, for example, fuel is provided in the tank to about the level indicated, the closure 32 being removable for this purpose and a line indicating the proper fuel level being formed on the outside of the tank. Valve 38 is moved to a position opening communication between the tank and heater, and valves 43 and 35 are opened to admit air under pressure into the tank to the desired degree as shown by the gauge 39, and to allow a proper amount of exhaust from the tank into the heater. Air passing into the pipe 34 through passage 46 will be admixed with an airfuel mixture from throat 49 of the mixing valve, providing a combustible mixture of proper ratio to the heater, wherein it will be burned in the usual manner and the gases of combustion discharged through conduit 24 and allowed to escape to the atmosphere, preferably through vent valve 64.

The mixing valve will operate by air entering through ports 6i, tube 51 and passage 69 into the base of tube 52, there .to be mixed with fuel entering through evaporating tube 55 and bleed opening 58 and discharged through nozzle 5| where it is further admixed with air entering the system through ports 48.

When the heater is to be fired with the engine i2 operating, the tank 3i may be disconnected from the system by merely turning valve 38 which will also serve to open communication of the pipe 23 into the manifold through fitting 21 whereupon normal operation of the heater as hereinbefore described can be eflected. And, if desired, the tank may be entirely removed from the vehicle by disconnecting nipple 31 from me body of valve 38 and replacing it with a plug It will be understood that if desired the heater may be operated by compressed air from any suitable source, or by fluid circulation otherwise induced by means other than the engine intake system, either located on the vehicle or elsewhere, when the engine l2 either is or is not operating, and, when the engine is operating, the heater may be switched over from operation from the tank to normal operation from the engine by merely turning the valve 38, without any noticeable interruption in heater operation.

It will be understood further that the apparatus herein shown and described is merely illustrative of the inventive principles involved, and that these may be otherwise embodied without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In combination with an internal combustion engine having an intake system including an intake manifold and a supercharger for forcing combustible fluid thereinto, a cabin heater comprising a hermetically sealed combustion chamherhaving an inlet for combustible fluid and an outlet connected to the intake system of said supercharger for removing products of combustion from said combustion chamber, means for selectively venting said outlet to the atmosphere, a tank for fuel and compressed air, the fuel in said tank being maintained under the pressure of the compressed air, means for connecting said tank to a source of compressed air, including a control valve, a mixing valve in said tank for admixing fuel and air in combustible ratio, valve means for selectively connecting the combustion chamber inlet to the outlet of said mixing valve or to said intake manifold, whereby the heater may be operated when the engine is or is not operating, and valve means for controlling the flow of fluid through said combustion chamber, said source of compressed air providing the power for causing flow of the products of combustion through said venting means to the atmosphere when the apparatus is operated while the internal combustion engine is not in operation.

CHARLES BARR. JOHN F. STRICKLER, JR. 

